Wheel



March 22, 1932. 1. J. WHITE, JR

WHEEL Filed April 20, 1928 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 22, 1932 STATES 4e ATENT i oFFicE JOSEPH J'. WHITE, JR., OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOYEIRIEMALLEABLE RON A COMPANY, F ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, A GQRSPORAT-ION 0F PENNSYLVANIA WHEEL Application filed April 20,

In making metal wheels for vehicles7 such as automobiles, difficulty is experienced 1n making the wheels of sufficient rigidity and f strength within practical limits as to weight. In an effort to secure the desired strength with a minimum of weight wheels have been formed with rolled sheet metal fellces which have been attached to wheel centers by various means. Great diiliculty is experiencedin making the attachment between the wheel centers and the felloes secure.

With the present invention a rolled wheel felloe is provided anda wheel center is formed by casting, the union between the l5 center and the felloe being accomplished as the wheel is cast. By this method a very secure attachment between the spokes and felloe is provided and the shrinkage incident to the wheel center places'the felloe under compression, thus adding to its resistance to shock. Features and details of the in vention will appear from the specification and claims.

The manner of practicing the method of the invention and a preferred embodiment of the wheel forming the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows i Fig. l shows a side elevation of a wheel 39 structure.

FigfZ a section on the line 2-2 inFig. 1.

Fig. 3 a section of a mold showing the pattern in place in the mold.

Fig. 4 the mold completed with the metal poured.

l marks the hub portion of the wheel center, and 2 the spokes. The wheel center has the usual opening la and is adapted to be included in the hub structure in the usual manner. A wheel felloe 3 is of channel form and rolled from steel plate, the channel having the base portion 4. Radial openings 5 extend through the base portion 4 for ret. ceiving the spokes.

The spokes extend through the openings 5 and the spokes are provided with annular grooves 6 in which the plate surrounding the opening extends. The ends of the spokes are V provided with heads 7 and 8 at opposite sides of the plate. The spokes preferably have 1928. Serial No. 2715627.

openings 9 extending through them. rThe felice 3 :has the usual beveled surfaces .afc receivingazdemountableTim. f

ln forming the wheely structure I provi'de .a .finoldpasshown :in Fig. 3,having the drags i {Ltland cope 11k-of usual form and fprcvilea pattern l2 having spokes follovwingvthe contour of E the spoke within the `felloe and a pattern 1'form 14 correspond-ing I'to ,fthe exteriorfsurface .of the felice and 'a coreprint ,1,69 lfextending from'the vframe 14. The :mold :is opened Yand the pattern removed :in the usual manner. The felloe 3 'is put .fin place in the part of V.the :mold provided by 4'the fcrm 14,'as-Acleanly'showniin Fig. 4. Prints *65 il?? are arranged withinthe felloezthe pnints Yl??l havingi corefreceivingfoponings I18. -rGores i9 forming the :spoke openings A.Ll-are gpu't 'in place, the outer 'ends of :these cores extending .into the openings i8. Theinnerfends of rthe cores v19 and the core -for :the wheel center may be vhuilt up in :any well known Ymanner of .foundry practice. Withtheqpartsinfplace and the mold closed, as shown in Fig. 4,fthe mold is filled, fas usually with -molten fmetal and this iows to ,the wheel center form, Sthe metal flowing A.through the openings 5 :and forming 'the heads .7 and Y8 at each sidefo'f .the :plate 4. As the castingfcools the metal joiningithe heads .'l'fand 8 is put'underftension, thus .-securelyzclampingthe walls Vofthe :groove (Syonfthe :plate and makenl close funionfloetween the :felloea-nd ithe spokes.. :At thefsame time theshrinkageof the wheel center, 4asra whole, places the spokes runder tension and fthe :felice under compression, 'thus making `the wheel, as a whole more effective in receiving :road

shocks. n

l/Vith this method utilizing a sheet metal formed felloe the shrinkage incident to the wheel center is of advantage whereas where it is attempted to cast an entire wheel, including the felloe, this shrinkage gives a great deal of trouble. It is very difficult also where steel felloes are used to unite this felloe with a separate wheel center so securely as to prevent more or less movement under shock between the spokes and the felloe. Any movement whatever at this point breaks `the finish which is objectionable. As the k2f Y Y r@1,850,436

movement continues, of course, the looseness n becomes Ymore objectionable.V In my wheel Y the `union of the parts is made very secure by v,the shrinkage of the metal, the use of the steel felloe makes for lightness and the structure as" a whole is one giving little difficulty as to casting. f What I claim as new is `1. In a wheel, the combination of a. wheel 16 felloe of sheet metal channel forxn having radialJ openings; and a wheel center having vcast spokes extending through the openings f and headed on the outer periphery of the y felloe, the spokes being under tensionand the felloe under compression.

felloe having radial openings; anda `cast l wheel center having spokes, said spokes being Y hollow and extending through the felloeV 20 openings and having a head onthe outer -periphery of the f elloe, said spokes being under initial tension. f 8. In a wheel, the combination of a wheel n `:felloe having radial openings; and a Vwheel center having cast spokes, said spokes being .hollow and extending throughl the felloe and p havinga transverse groove, the radialfaces ofkv the wallsof which engage the felloe, said spokes being under initial tension. 80 '4. In ak wheel,the combination of a wheel felloe having radial openings; and a wheel center having cast spokes, said spokes being` hollow and extending'through the felloe and having a transverse groove, the radial faces of the walls of which engagethe'felloe, the portion Aof the'spokes between the radially faced walls being under shrinkage tension and clamping the walls ofthe groove on the felloe. y y A 4o 5. In a`wheel, thecombination of a' wheel 'f 'felloe having radial openings therein; and a W wheel centerfhaving cast spokes extending through 4the felloe,'said spokes having transof whichengage the felloe, the kportion of 7 they spokes between the radially faced walls beingfwnnder shrinkage tension clamping the Vwalls/of the groove onthe felloe, said spokes r n within the felloe being under tension and theifelloeunder compression.`

In V'testimony whereof I have hereunto vset v f i Ymy'hand. JOSEPH J. WHITE, JR.

2. In a wheel, the combination `of awheel verse grooves, the radial faces of the walls f 

